LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The United Nations (UN) has warned of a dramatic increase in sexual violence linked to armed conflicts, revealing that 9,788 verified cases were documented across 21 conflict-affected countries in 2025.
The findings were released by the UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, during the presentation of the organization’s annual report at UN Headquarters.
The report, titled “Conflict-related sexual violence cases more than doubled in 2025, UN warns,” noted that the verified cases represent only a fraction of the actual scale of abuse, with many incidents believed to remain unreported.
According to Patten, majority of the victims are women and girls, with the latest figures highlighting a troubling rise in the use of rape and other forms of sexual abuse as tools of war, political repression, torture and terrorism.
“In 2025 documented cases of sexual violence as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression marked by extreme brutality and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls increased dramatically,” she said.
Patten cautioned against viewing the figures as a complete reflection of the crisis.
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“The figures contained in this report should be understood not as the full picture, but as an indication of a much broader pattern of violations that remain largely unseen and underreported,” Patten stated.
The UN said the documented abuses included rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, trafficking and abductions carried out by both state and non-state actors operating in conflict zones.
While women and girls remained the primary targets, the report also recorded cases involving men and boys, particularly in detention facilities where sexual violence was allegedly used as a form of torture.
In addition, LGBTQI+ individuals were identified as facing heightened risks in several conflict settings.
The report also revealed that victims ranged from children as young as one year old to adults aged 70, including people living with disabilities.
It further noted that many attacks were accompanied by extreme brutality, including killings after rape and cases where survivors later took their own lives.
“At its heart, this report is about the human suffering of all these survivors and communities living in the shadow of war,” Patten noted.
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Furthermore, the UN highlighted the growing role of armed groups and criminal networks in perpetuating sexual violence.
The report stated that non-state armed actors continue to use such abuses to exert control over territories and populations, especially in fragile and resource-rich regions.
UN also warned that displacement, insecurity and weakened protection systems are exposing more women and girls to danger, particularly in remote communities and border areas.
Meanwhile, restrictions on humanitarian access and persistent funding shortages are making it more difficult to document abuses and provide assistance to survivors.
In response, the UN called for stronger international action, urging governments and the Security Council to prioritize prevention, accountability and survivor-focused support.
The organization stressed the need for unhindered humanitarian access, stronger monitoring mechanisms, improved investigations and prosecutions, expanded support for women’s protection advisers in UN missions, and increased funding for medical, legal and psychosocial services.
Patten urged world leaders to keep the focus on those most affected by the violence rather than allowing political interests to overshadow the crisis.
“These violations are neither isolated nor confined to a handful of contexts. They are global in scale, devastating in impact and demand a response centred not on political posturing, selective outrage or pre-conceived narratives, but on the rights, needs and dignity of victims and survivors,” she added.
Ultimately, the report paints a sobering picture of the human cost of conflict, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated global efforts to protect vulnerable populations and ensure justice for survivors.
